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This blog has consistently been the authority on calling out right wing hypocrisy in West Virginia. I will point to the instance in which Heath Harrison's story detailing the self-styled WV Family Policy Council's not so subtle ties to Republican operatives from out of state. That post played a part in creating lot more coverage of that group's real agenda All Journalists involved in exposing those facts should take some of the credit for defeating House Joint Resolution 5 (The Marriage Amendment) during the past regular session of the legislature. (Props also to Lawrence Messina for his coverage.) In the spirit of continuing that narrative, I want to pass on an excellent piece from the Reader's Forum of today's Charleston Gazette. Mike Harman from St. Albans hits the nail on the head: (Author's note: I ordinarily would not post the entirety of an article. This one is just that good and must be posted all at once.) Family Policy Council should refocus aims Editor: Jeremiah Dys, a Republican political operative serving as the president of the Family Policy Council of West Virginia, wants to advance a conservative political agenda in West Virginia, even if it means fabricating false ideas about the Christian Bible in order to do it. The organization called "The Family Policy Council" was known as the "West Virginia Values Coalition" in 2005. This organization, fully embedded with the national Republican Party throughout its existence, thrives on big-time Republican money but uses a so-called "Christian" religious front to advance its political agenda. When you consider an authentic family-focused organization, such as the Family Advocates program based in Boise, Idaho, you see a non-political organization dedicated to keeping abused children out of danger and in safe homes, while partnering with parents to build strong families. They do this by raising money from a variety of businesses and individuals, and operating two programs, one of which is the Court-Appointed Special Advocates program (CASA) where a trained volunteer works with a child who has been placed in foster care due to suspected abuse or neglect. The other program is Families First, where parent educators work closely with parents to create an individual support plan, tailored to the needs of the parents. Together they work to help the parent feel more confident about parenting and prepare their children for success in school. All services to parents are free and voluntary and take place during home visits. Jeremiah Dys and the Family Policy Council of West Virginia consistently ignore the extremely pressing needs of families in West Virginia who are desperate for trained and motivated volunteers and professionals, like the ones working for Family Advocates and for West Virginia Child Protective Services. These fine, dedicated folks are on the front lines every day working to prevent and lessen the trauma of child abuse and neglect. Instead of being obsessed with withholding the legal status of marriage from gay couples, it would make more sense if the Family Policy Council addressed why so many children in traditional mother-father homes are victimized and abused by their "traditional" parents. But of course such a change of heart would not advance their political agenda. Amen. To second Mr. Harman's comments, I would refer the Family Policy Council to a few members of the Senate Bill 238 Coalition. Namely, the West Virginia Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers and the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence are two organizations on the front lines doing tough work to salvage family relationships everyday. It is easy to throw the words "family values," "in the heart of God," and other bombastic rhetoric around when you are pushing a partisan political agenda. It takes real courage to get into the trenches and heal people who have been broken down by abusive relationships, have issues with war time post traumatic stress syndrome, or have been left alone and need a legal advocate to represent them in front of the state. Today, we salute those who do the hard work and stand for real family values. |
